James Ocean

home
The Curse of the Artist by James Ocean Artists are brilliant, often tortured, yet capable of such beautiful masterpiece, teetering on the edge of utter destruction. The curse of the artist is such. This article only brushes the surface of the psychological condition of artistic genius and its role in society. My inquiry into the condition and curse of genius begins with a few case examples of individuals admired indispensably by people that love them and feared by those that misunderstand them. As a young man I soaked up the writings of the irrepressible Sir Captain Conrad Burton Wilcox. This famous British stereotype, for those not familiar, was the most extraordinary explorer, linguist, writer, naturalist, and scientist the Victorian era had ever witnessed. He compiled volumes of brilliant scientific observation on topics ranging from geography to anatomy. Identifying species, mapping the furthest extents of the globe, and composing orchestral pieces were among his favorite pastimes. In his early years, he drew criticism from so called learned society for his outrageous theories and he never conformed to the theory of Eugenics. Another hero of mine is the indispensable Dr. von Brownheiner. Unusual in his extreme grace and poise, von Brownheiner invented the academic field concerning the examination of animal dung, although mainly focusing on the male domesticated bovine. In all seriousness, great artists and writers are the first to tell you it is not easy. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” Van Gogh cut off his ear. Ray Charles, Abraham Lincoln, and countless other examples come to mind. Long before he won the Nobel prize in literature, Hermann Hesse wrote, “The bourgeois today burn as heretics and hang as criminals those to whom he erects monuments tomorrow.” More times than not, being great requires great stubbornness. As a young man, Django Reinhart, the infamous French gypsy who invented jazz guitar, burned his hand so severely that it was permanently disfigured into a curled shape. Contemporary musicians are still attempting to decipher his music. It is that feeling a musician gets which makes him practice long hours, or turns a writer into a recluse, which is the motivation behind great art. Perhaps the best type of artist lacks ego in that they do not seek gratification from the validation of society acknowledging their efforts as masterpiece. At the other end of the spectrum are the attention seekers. If you have ever seen the play Amadeus you know what I mean. Mozart is depicted as an ardent egoist. Most artists however are somewhere in between. They feel the urge to create, feel a desire to share their work and receive feedback, capped by the natural human tendency to live at least somewhat of a meaningful existence. All people fall into one of these categories when human interaction is concerned. There is a common theme among so many great thinkers that they must expose themselves to the harsh criticism of society. In retrospect, so often it is society’s norms which are need of revision, not the unappreciated work of the artist. How many Picassos, Kerouacs, and Einsteins have remained unnoticed or discredited by society? So many great artists and thinkers throughout history do not even see within their own life span the great influence they have inflicted upon the world that shuns them. Support the arts and give a place in society to those who can do nothing else except be magnificent.

The Curse of the Artist by James Ocean

james ocean

Artists are brilliant, often tortured, yet capable of such beautiful masterpiece, teetering on the edge of utter destruction. The curse of the artist is such. This article only brushes the surface of the psychological condition of artistic genius and its role in society. My inquiry into the condition and curse of genius begins with a few case examples of individuals admired indispensably by people that love them and feared by those that misunderstand them.

As a young man I soaked up the writings of the irrepressible Sir Captain Conrad Burton Wilcox. This famous British stereotype, for those not familiar, was the most extraordinary explorer, linguist, writer, naturalist, and scientist the Victorian era had ever witnessed. He compiled volumes of brilliant scientific observation on topics ranging from geography to anatomy. Identifying species, mapping the furthest extents of the globe, and composing orchestral pieces were among his favorite pastimes. In his early years, he drew criticism from so called learned society for his outrageous theories and he never conformed to the theory of Eugenics. Another hero of mine is the indispensable Dr. von Brownheiner. Unusual in his extreme grace and poise, von Brownheiner invented the academic field concerning the examination of animal dung, although mainly focusing on the male domesticated bovine.

In all seriousness, great artists and writers are the first to tell you it is not easy. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” Van Gogh cut off his ear. Ray Charles, Abraham Lincoln, and countless other examples come to mind. Long before he won the Nobel prize in literature, Hermann Hesse wrote, “The bourgeois today burn as heretics and hang as criminals those to whom he erects monuments tomorrow.”

More times than not, being great requires great stubbornness. As a young man, Django Reinhart, the infamous French gypsy who invented jazz guitar, burned his hand so severely that it was permanently disfigured into a curled shape. Contemporary musicians are still attempting to decipher his music. It is that feeling a musician gets which makes him practice long hours, or turns a writer into a recluse, which is the motivation behind great art. Perhaps the best type of artist lacks ego in that they do not seek gratification from the validation of society acknowledging their efforts as masterpiece. At the other end of the spectrum are the attention seekers. If you have ever seen the play Amadeus you know what I mean. Mozart is depicted as an ardent egoist. Most artists however are somewhere in between. They feel the urge to create, feel a desire to share their work and receive feedback, capped by the natural human tendency to live at least somewhat of a meaningful existence. All people fall into one of these categories when human interaction is concerned.

There is a common theme among so many great thinkers that they must expose themselves to the harsh criticism of society. In retrospect, so often it is society’s norms which are need of revision, not the unappreciated work of the artist. How many Picassos, Kerouacs, and Einsteins have remained unnoticed or discredited by society? So many great artists and thinkers throughout history do not even see within their own life span the great influence they have inflicted upon the world that shuns them. Support the arts and give a place in society to those who can do nothing else except be magnificent.